The War of Independence

● The Irish Volunteers reorganised in 1917 with new leaders: Collins, De Valera, Mulcahy

● After setting up of 1st Dail they came under control of Richard Mulcahy (Minister for Defence)

● But IRB also influential in Irish Volunteers ● Irish Volunteers eventually became the Army of

the Irish Republic (or IRA)● Sometimes tensions between Tds of Dail and

IRA on tactics

1st phase of the War of Independence

● In January 1919 the IRA killed 2 RIC policemen in a raid to get explosives (but this was done without permission of Dail or IRA high command)

● There were a number of low-key operations between January 1919 to March 1920

● IN this phase around 20 RIC policemen were killed

● The government reacted by banning Sinn Fein, The Irish Volunteers, Gaelic League and Cumann na mBan in November 1919

War of Independence intensifies in 1920

● In 1919 and 1920 many RIC were killed by the IRA and hundreds left the police force

● March 1920 British recruited former soldiers to help RIC

● They were known as 'Black and Tans' because they had a mix of military and police uniforms

● April 1920: General Macready made Commander of Crown Forces in Ireland

● May 1920: A special police force made up of British Army officers called 'Auxilaries' established to help fight IRA

Collins' spy network● Collins was Director of

Intelligence for the IRA● Had a network of spies and

informers (some working in the civil service or the RIC)

● Also set up the 'Squad' (or the '12 Apostles') who assasinated members of the G-Squad (DMP detectives) who were spying on nationalists

Flying Columns● The IRA set up 'Flying Columns' which staged

ambushes and attacks on the RIC, Black and Tans and Auxilaries

● These units did not wear uniforms and could blend in easily with the general population

Violence, Brutality and Reprisals● Black and Tans and the

Auxilaries sometimes indisciplined and used brutal tactics (including against innocent civilians)

● Some illegal killings were carried out by the Black and Tans

● Sometimes IRA prisoners were killed as a reprisal for the killing of British forces

November 1920: Bloody Sunday

● The British had a group of spies in Dublin known as the 'Cairo Gang'

● In November 1920 Collins decided to have them killed

● 11 were killed on 21 November at different locations by Collins' Squad

● Later that day a group of Auxilaries killed 12 and injured 60 people in Croke Park during a Dublin Tipperary football match

● That night 2 IRA men were killed while in custody

The Cairo Gang

November 1920: The Kilmichael Ambush and Martial Law

● Tom Barry led an ambush at Kilmichael in West Cork and killed 17 of an 18 man Auxilary Patrol

● In December 1920 British Government introduced martial (military) law

The Burning of Cork December 1920

● After an IRA ambush in Cork city a group of Black and Tans burned and looted shops and houses in the city centre

● Locals were blamed for the fires by the Chief Secretary

The Government of Ireland Act, 1920

● While the IRA were fighting the War of Independence the British introduced the Government of Ireland Act, 1920

● This Act finally introduced Home-Rule (but Ireland was to be divided into 2 parts each with its own parliament)

● [Northern Ireland: 6 counties, Southern Ireland: 26 counties]

● This effectively meant the 'partition' of Ireland into two separate administrative jurisdictions

May 1921 Elections● SF were boycotting the Westminster parliament

but ran candidates in the elections organised by the British in May 1921

● They won 124 of the 128 seats in the Southern Ireland Parliament but didn't take up their seats but instead met as the 2nd Dáil

● Only the 4 unionists (elected by Trinity College) elected turned up for official opening of the Southern Ireland Parliament

● Unionists won 40 of the 52 seats in the Northern Ireland Parliament and so were able to control the government of Northern Ireland

Moving towards a truce● The IRA continued their guerilla war against the

British in 1921● On 25 May the IRA attacked the Customs

House in Dublin (8 IRA killed)● The IRA was under pressure from the British

forces in Ireland and running low on munitions● British intelligence had some success in

identifying and arresting IRA members● At the same time it was going to be difficult and

expensive for British to try to completely defeat IRA and the brutal tactics of the Black and Tans were damaging the government's reputation in Britain and abroad

● The parliaments would not control defence, foreign policy or finance and decisions could be vetoed by Westminster

● 42 Irish Mps would continue going to Westminster

● Mps elected to both the Southern and Northern Ireland parliaments would have to take an Oath of Allegiance to the King

● A Council of Ireland would be established to discuss matters of of interest to both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland

Terms of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920